En Route to the world’s best surfing haven

Neetha S Ratnapala

It was indeed a pleasant journey towards the East of Sri Lanka after many years as we proceeded along to our destination - Batticaloa the capital of Eastern Sri Lanka. The road stretched endlessly and except for a few repairs and expansion here there the journey was smooth and comfortable.

We reached our destination past mid-day and were welcomed with glasses of fresh cucumber juice. That was the beginning of our tour.

We felt and noticed the change in the air, vegetation and heat as we passed from Kurunegala to Dambulla, Habarana, Polonnaruwa and finally Batticaloa itself, from coconut palms to Palmyrah, but one fact was as constant as the sun the paddy fields, the popular staple food of all Sri Lankans, binding us in food.

There were no interruptions, fear or doubts as three years ago when Sri Lanka was determinedly fighting for re-establishment of peace and war-free co-existence. We think gratefully of the Armed Forces that made this possible; as we set off to view the developments after the war.

We were able to see for ourselves how some combatants or child soldiers were being rehabilitated to lead normal lives and enjoy their youth through gainful and self-rewarding exercise. Batches of young girls and boys were being trained in free expression, job training leading to self-employment in a number of years.

We chanced to meet a group of girls taking to beauty culture, and who were quite happy about their new assignments mingling happily with others, who do not look down upon them. Some were receiving training in the production of bakery foods such as bread, buns, savoury buns, cake and more. In fact we were served some delicious butter cake turned out by them. Their instructors too were happy about their progress.

Electric wiring, minor repair are no more a male’s task. The young group of trainees in electric wiring and repairs were a mixed group with no gender bias, and they said that after their training they could find employment in the construction sector which shows signs of expansion.

Some of those youths are provided residential facilities quite secure, while some come from their homes, or relatives’. They are there early for their training and get-together, and return by evening. These trainees were seen at the District Sarvodaya Centre in Batticaloa, where they are quite safe and facilities provided for a decent transformation into civil society.

Besides the training programs they are also engaged in agriculture, dairy farming still at an initial stage but with plans for expansion. Other training programs are also conducted here, and income used for sustenance of the place. Much is done in an area of 24 acres, kept clean and mosquito-free and an exemplary institution in the East of Sri Lanka.

Moving from there we travelled to the tourist interest in Sri Lanka - Arugam Bay -one of the world’s best surfing bay. Even in the early hours the bay was full of visitors who wouldn’t want to miss the happpenings there.

It was such an experience in the lovely blue waters under the sun? It was safe, clean, and secure with no sound or threat of attacks or explosions.

There were foreign tourists holding onto their surfing boards as well as local ones arriving in bus loads. I believe after many years of hell in the East.

I wondered why we fail to appreciate the beauty of nature Sri Lanka is abundantly blessed with, be it in the Centre, South, North, West or East. It is indeed a God’s paradise bestowed on us, where the land and sea gives us enough yields of many kinds, colour and use, be it grain, vegetable, fruit or flowers, animals, birds or fish.

A foreign tourist may give it all for a jumbo prawn or crab, fresh melon, mango or pineapple, an elephant’s ride, a deer’s gaze, a peacock dance or most of all a Sri Lankan smile. Moving onto Passikuda another tourist attraction in the east of Sri Lanka, we passed through Kaladi Eravur - Valechchenai, all developing areas in the East - Paddyfields in Nithtavior attracted us much The paddy fields extended as far down as Ampara. On one side we saw the use of human labour, while on the other we noticed the new threshers in use, time saving, yet, I believe with some handicaps in raw damp harvest being used, and the resulting cracking of the grain.

Rice was in abundance in the area and we were able to purchase good red rice at Rs 34 a kilo. Even other varieties were fairly low-roughly between Rs 40 - Rs 50.

Passing Eravur we saw a beautiful sight as from a fairytale - a settlement, with houses of multicolour studded against a green landscape of peculiar design and shape, which happened to be a settlement following the tsunami disaster, now almost in completion.

The dawn of development was also visible through the investments in coconut cultivation in a large scale, undertaken by the Coconut Cultivation Board, and associated coconut nurseries. Cashew, another income earner, has also gained ground with much land coming under cashew, followed by mango.

Almost every home garden had a coconut palm, a margosa tree, a mango tree and a drumstick murunga tree. Lest I forget I must mention that the lagoon shell fish curry and murunga curry was indeed a treat, to visitors. For easy catch the Batticaloa lagoon was interspersed with “Prawn Catching Waters”.

The East seems to be reviving through not only economic development, business activities and infrastructure development, but also a cultural revolution. One could detect the interest paid to education through the apparent number of schools spread throughout the district.

There are state schools as well as missionary and schools run by religious institutions. Education is as important as religion to them.

A school was noticeable, within almost every 10kms. Some ardour and zeal was noticed in religious and cultural affairs. A Christian church, a kovil, a mosque stood at every populated corner, making us wonder how such a religious oriented community could take to arms, either through compulsion or voluntary choice.

Years have passed. Tragedy come and gone. Prosperity dawning in the interest of all. It is but a necessity that all communities co-exist in peaceful endeavour.

Why must there be division or segregation according to race, language, religion or occupation. If the South tolerates why not the East or North. Let there be free movement for a freer Sri Lanka.